Sacred Heart
by Emcron
Summary: Hinata must confront a figure from her past, and discover what it really is to be Shinobi.
1. Introduction

Sacred Heart

            _"You are not suited to be a ninja. You have no self confidence, and you are too kind."_

_            "Give up."_

She could feel her own heart flutter under his terrifying gaze, the gaze of eyes as white as her own. She trembled, trying to avoid that terrible look. It was a look of hate and rage.

            _"You are really thinking of how badly you want to be away from this place. Stop trying to be tough."_

She found her own voice, _"You're…you're wrong…I'm here to…change myself!"_

He smirked, _"Stop kidding yourself. You cannot fool my eyes. You are imagining physical and mental pain. Your hand there on your lips is an attempt to lower mental stress. Because of this weakness, you can never cha-."_

_            "You can!"_

She looked up and out of the ring to the source. _"Naruto-kun."_With his gaze on her, she felt she could do anything. Maybe she was worth something…

            She raised her hands and formed the necessary seals to invoke her own Byakugan, now fixing her own piercing white gaze on her opponent. Without pausing for reprieve, she flowed into the neutral stance of her family Taijutsu.

            _"Neji nii-san…let us fight!"_

            With a start, Hyuuga Hinata awoke. With practiced breathes, she slowed her rapid heart down to its normal speed, and eased herself out of her covers. Behind her, the covers stirred, rearranging themselves around now one body instead of two. She gazed down at the form now comfortably wrapped in all the sheets, and she stroked his cheek with her free hand. Naruto.

The nightmare never seemed to go away. The day she almost died. Sometimes she questioned the other possible outcomes. If she hadn't fought Neji with all her heart, would she still be a Genin, and not a Juunin now? If she had given up and walked away, would Naruto-kun have ever looked at her with such incredible respect and approval? Would he be lying in bed with her like they were a few moments ago? Mostly though, she wondered one thing. If she had died that day…if Neji had silenced her forever…would anyone have cared?

            A dull thump brought her back to her senses, and with practiced ease Hinata slid a kunai into her waiting hand. She edged towards the source of the sound, slowly feeling with her Chakra. The knock at the door almost took her breath away.

            "Hinata, it's me, Hokage-sama wishes to see you."

            Hinata eased the door open a crack and stared into the face of her old teacher Yuuhi Kurenai, "Kurenai-sensei...Hokage-sama wants to see me?"

            Kurenai nodded, "You must hurry Hinata, Hokage-sama sounded worried, and she asked for you by name specifically."

            Hinata gulped. Hokage-sama never asked for Juunin by name. She always just got together available Juunin for high level missions and sent them. A ninja must always see underneath the underneath, or so she had been told. What could be underneath this underneath? "I will be ready in a moment…thank you Kurenai-sensei."

            Kurenai nodded and bowed, but she looked up almost instantly, startled. "Hinata, there is something I think you should know…Hokage-sama asked for one other for this mission…and one other specifically."

            Hinata mouthed, "Who," but Kurenai's fingers met her lips before air could ease past her teeth.

            "You know very well of who I speak."

            Hinata's white eyes grew alabaster, "No…"


	2. A Sacred Heart

            Tsunade, Hokage of Konoha paced nervously through her quarters. Beside her was a man, his back eased against her wall in a resting position. He stood unblinking, fingering his kunai holster out of habit. There was a story in Konoha of this man. Some say he can see your future. Others say his very gaze can stop a lesser man's heart in its beat. She watched his every movement carefully, for every move of Hyuuga Neji could be as sinister as it was deadly.

            Without pause, the door shifted and now Hyuuga Hinata entered the room. Tsunade could see the muscles in Hinata's legs tighten, her eyes narrow, and her shoulders tense upon seeing Neji, like a terrified animal staring down a predator. Hinata stood her ground but her level of alertness hardly changed. Neji's glare was equally unmistakable, but he didn't move from his spot at the wall.

            Tsunade cleared her throat to get their attention, "Neji, Hinata, I need the two of you for a mission, one of the utmost importance. Only the two of you are capable of this mission, because you have one thing in common. You are Hyuuga. I can look to no one else."

            Neji looked as stoic as ever. Hinata looked confused and worried. Eyeing them both, Tsunade reached into a pouch in her robes and removed a pair of scrolls and handed them to the ninja. "Here are the details…if you'll come with me I'll explain the rest as we go." She started for the door, and wasn't at all surprised when Hinata nearly bumped into her when she stopped.

            "Coming, Neji?" He grunted in reply and fell in place behind them.

* * *

            The rest of the details were more gruesome than anyone could have imagined. The rest of the details was a visual aid: the fallen body of a Hyuuga. Hinata looked like she was about to cry. Neji looked hardly stunned.

            "This is Hizari-san, Hokage-sama. He is of the branch family I am a part of, of this I am certain…even without his eyes I cannot mistake him."

            Hinata gulped, "Hokage-sama…how did this happen? His eyes…they weren't melted like when the curse seal activates at death…"

            Tsunade shook her head, "No…that's the worrisome thing...they were medically removed."

            Neji cursed under his breath, "Damn bad luck for them. They got a branch member."

            "Hokage-sama, how is this possible? Hizari-san is supposed to be at home protecting Father."

            Tsunade shrugged, "We don't know. That is my purpose for gathering the two of you. You are both Hyuuga, and you have both lived with the family. I want the two of you to go home and protect he Hyuuga residents, while at the same time investigating Hizari's disappearance."

            Neji looked solemn, "Someone must be after the Byakugan…what else is there to steal?"

Hinata looked scared. Really scared. She knew very well what a user of the Byakugan could do: Neji had nearly killed her with it a number of years ago. Some scars though, never heal. She hardly noticed Neji move out of her field of vision.

            The door creaked and Tsunade looked over to see Neji starting to exit, "Where are you going, Neji?"

            He looked back at her out of the corner of his eye, "To get ready, Hokage-sama. Hyuuga house isn't exactly the shortest or safest of trips, and the sooner we get there the sooner we can investigate."

            Her eyes narrowed, "Then I bid you prepare, Neji-sensei; good luck."

            Without even a nod, he continued out the door as though nothing had happened. Tsunade turned to the now ash gray Hinata, who looked as though she was about to cry. Her soft voice met Tsunade's ears, "Hokage-sama?"

            "Yes Hinata?"

            "Please, Hokage-sama…please don't make me go with him…"

            "There is no one else I can send Hinata, and I can't very well send just him or you into a potential house full of enemies."

            "But…" Hinata lowered her head.

            Tsunade looked deep into the white eyes of Hinata, "Hinata, what happened between the two of you is in the past. You must try to forget about it and remember your mission. You must do this, or Hyuuga house may be in grave danger. Your father could be in grave danger…and your sister."

            Hinata looked up, tears in her eyes, but there was something else. Something she might have missed had she not been looking closer. Hinata's eyes had anger in them for the first time Tsunade had ever seen her, "Ye…yes, Hokage-sama. I will do my best." Hastily, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and proceeded out the door after Neji.

            Tsunade watched in their wake, "Be wary my ninja, for some secrets are meant only for our families and no other."

* * * 

            Hinata stumbled back through the door of her home. The home she shared with the one she loved. Naruto lay sprawled out on their bed, the sheets tangled between his legs and arms. A happy smile lay on his face…she wished she could share it with him. Slinging her packs across her shoulders, she began filling the insides with the necessary articles. Naruto would stop her if he woke up, and she had a duty to attend to. Speed was of the essence. As she tucked extra kunai into her pouch, she scrawled a quick note to Naruto on a scroll laying on her table.

            _"I have gone on a mission with fear itself. I will conquer it, and return home safely. Do not worry about me, love, for I am in good hands, and with any luck I'll be home before you know it. Be safe._

_                                    Your Beloved,_

_                                    Hinata_

            Short and sweet. Simple and concise. Exactly what the moment required. She made for the door, but hesitated. Naruto groaned in his sleep in the background. Maybe she could just…she edged over to the bedside. Maybe just one more kiss…just before she left. A kiss to remember, and a kiss to motivate her to live. Live for him. Her lips descended towards his. She could feel his warmth against her skin. Her trembling fingers made for his cheek.

            A hand closed around her wrist hard. "Let's go, Hinata-sama." She almost yelped in surprise at Neji's appearance. She didn't even notice him enter. Wiping tears, she nodded. As Neji made for the door, she brushed Naruto's cheek with her hand, then made to follow.

            _I will be back soon, my love._


	3. Shinobi's Honor

            She sweated against the straining sun and the tearing wind. Gasping for breath, Hyuuga Hanabi put her hands on her knees and bore out the pain. In front of her was the practice dummy her father Hiashi had put out before her.

            _"Hanabi.__ Don't come home until that dummy is stained red. I expect nothing less from my daughter and a Hyuuga."_

Hanabi looked down at her callused hands in defiance. The blisters against her palms and knuckles were red and torn, blood dripped silently from the gashes. She clenched her fists in frustration and resumed her stance. The dummy was already reddened from her previous volley. Perhaps another would be enough to satisfy father.

            _"Hanabi…"_

She gasped and froze. A voice…

            _"Hanabi…sweet Hanabi…I've come to see you again…"_

Her hands dropped to her sides. A big smile came to her face. "Shen!"

            There was a rush of wind, and a flutter of leaves and in its wake appeared a boy who shone like the sun. His hair was earthy brown, and his eyes were like a pair of emerald pools. He was about a foot taller than Hanabi herself, and he wore the forehead protector of a ninja from Konoha. He smiled at her, and she felt she could faint.

            "Hanabi, come to me. I've missed you."

            She blushed, "I've missed you too Shen!" As they were about to embrace, he caught her hurt hands, and gazed down into her eyes. "Hiashi-sama likes to play rough, eh?"

            She smiled back, "Damn right. He's got me working on that dummy. I'm supposed to stain it red with the blood of my hard work before I come home."

            "Well, we can't have you barely able to hold anything now can we?"

            He molded Chakra into her hands, and instantly she felt the torn skin knitting together, and the blood drying and vanishing. She looked down at her hands, and was almost surprised at the wholeness. Shen was an excellent healer.

            "Thank you Shen, I don't know where I'd be without you."

            He smiled at her and she felt his eyes bore deeper into hers, "Hanabi, I have a favor to ask you…"

* * *

            Neji grimaced against his pack he carried and looked back again at his other charge. Hinata was struggling to keep up with his pace; she looked tired and probably needed a rest. He wouldn't suggest it though. Let her suffer a bit…suffer like he did. 

            He knew the truth now. His father had died by his own choice, but Neji, like his fellow branch family members, was still a caged bird. Nothing could ever remove his curse seal. He would forever be bound as he was. Tied to the head family by his invisible leash. Hinata-sama had once called him nii-san. He wished he could make that real, instead of the reality that they both lived in. She was a head family member, and he was a branch family member. That bit of fate unfortunately remained unchangeable.

            "Neji nii-san, can we stop a moment…?"

            He glared back at her, "As you wish, Hinata-sama." He dropped his pack exactly where he stood, and ignored her hurt expression at his turned back. They had been traveling for three days non-stop, and her stamina was obviously less than his. He was starting to strain, but only barely; Hinata was not used to working with such few hours of sleep, and was tiring out by the second day. She sat atop her pack and greedily gulped water from her water bottle. At his gaze, she again looked away. He ignored her and looked over his maps of the area.

            Hyuuga House lay another day or so to the east. They were actually making good time. Weak as she was, Hinata was keeping up with him.

            "Um…Neji nii-san…may I speak frankly with you a moment?"

            He rolled his eyes, "What is it, Hinata-sama?"

            The sudden flash in her eyes actually made him wince. Could it be something like…no…it couldn't be anger, "Neji nii-san, why do you hate me?"

            He raised an eyebrow, "It is not you I hate, Hinata-sama. I hate what you are."

She gulped and gathered her courage, "I'm sorry Neji-nii-san, but I don't understand."

He glared back and gritted his teeth, "Then let me spell it out for you, Hinata-sama. I hate that you, the weakling of Hyuuga House was born a head family member and the heir of Hyuuga. I hate that we, the branch family are treated like your slaves. 'Your job is to protect Hinata-sama, and the secrets of Hyuuga.' Quite frankly, Hinata-sama, that is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. We are not your equals, we are your slaves."

            He took a deep breath to steady himself, and waited for a wince, a groan, and maybe a tear, but to his surprise, not a single one met his ears. Instead, when he searched Hinata's eyes, he saw not fear, but understanding.

            "Perhaps I understand you better than you think Neji nii-san. I am just Hinata, because my father does not acknowledge me any longer…He called me weak and hopeless because much of what he and you said about me is true. I avoid conflict, and I do not like to use my abilities to hurt others. I was more than happy to remain a Genin, but I did not. I'm not the helpless girl you knew, Neji nii-san. Though you are stronger than me, and you probably will always be, I can become strong, strong enough to make my own difference. Shinobi need not be tools stained with death and suffering."

            Neji looked untouched by her words and scowled, "Deeds speak larger than words, Hinata-sama. When you are ready to go, please let me know, and we can start moving."

            She continued sipping her water and watched him, "Yes, Neji nii-san."

* * *

            Hyuuga Hiashi grimaced as he lifted the veil of the latest victim. Hyuuga Satori. Another branch family member had died mysteriously, and once more, the eyes were missing. Angrily, he had sent Hanabi to practice outside, and he told her not to come back until her blood had stained her practice dummy red. Red for Satori. Word of Satori's death had spread quickly through Hyuuga House, and now everyone was on the alert, and shortly, a pair of Juunin would be arriving from Konoha to aid him. His brother's son, Hyuuga Neji, and his former daughter, Hyuuga Hinata. The most and least talented of all Hyuuga to ever be born. He chuckled at the irony of it.

            _"Sir.__ I will be in charge of Hinata from now on. However, Genin missions bear the possibility of death. Are you sure you want that, sir? Hinata is the Hyuuga family's heir."_

_            "Do with her as you will. There is no place for a weakling and a defect in Hyuuga."_

Now, the weakling was a Juunin, and she was coming home. Perhaps she had changed for the better, though he highly doubted that.

* * *

            The sunset was gorgeous today. Its crimson glow lit the sky, and breathed a few last breathes of warmth on Hyuuga House, before setting and leaving the moon's hollow glow to watch over them in its stead. She didn't even notice until it was too late. He moved like a shadow and struck like a viper, his senbon piercing her neck and hitting the appropriate pressure points. With barely a gasp, the life flowing through her was stifled, and she collapsed against his arm. A shadow of death, this piercing technique was. Enough death for him to do his work, before a real death met her. Though ambushing these family members was certainly effective, it lacked the taste and power of the capture of real prey. The greatest of the Hyuuga family was not home, but they were coming. Oh yes, they were coming. Perhaps the whitest eyes of Hyuuga were the ones that had eluded him all along. The strongest of the Hyuuga were coming…and those legendary white eyes of his would be a thing of the past. Forever, would Hyuuga cry tears of red.


End file.
